Welcome to Number 16, the fun website that is all about words, language and literature. It is named after my favourite number. I am Joanne Madden and I'm from Toronto, Canada. To find out what I have written on any topic, use the search box directly below. For TV trivia, please check my other website, TV Banter (www.tvbanter.net).

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Sunday, August 28, 2011

As I write this, Hurricane Irene is wreaking its havoc. Here in Toronto, we are not in the path of this terrible storm. We will escape Irene's wrath. For that, I am eternally thankful. Others, however, will not be as fortunate. They will not escape the ire of Irene. Sadly, many have already felt the impact this natural nightmare. They have fallen victim to its voracious appetite for destruction.

Irene is yet another disaster in a record disaster year. According to an article by Stephanie Pappas on the website LiveScience.com, the hurricane is poised to be the 10th billion dollar disaster of 2011, breaking 2008's dubious distinction of having a record number of billion-dollar disasters in a year.

In March of this year, Japan experienced the most powerful earthquake in its history. Its recovery from that disaster will take years. There is also a humanitarian crisis in Eastern Africa of immense proportion. Millions are in danger of starvation due to drought, particularly in Somalia.

According to a report realeased by the National Climatic Data Center (August 2011, prior to Hurricane Irene), damage from national disasters in the United States surpassed $35 billion this year. While it is certainly true that populations have increased and property damage has become more costly, it is also true that the disasters have become more severe and more frequent.

Here in Canada, my own province of Ontario was recently hit by a tornado. On the afternoon of August 21, 2011, a devastating storm touched down on the beautiful town of Goderich on the eastern shore of Lake Huron. A 61-year-old man was killed and 37 others were injured. Power lines fell and roofs were torn off houses. Century old trees were uprooted instantly.

Along with summer floods and tornadoes, this year has been chalk full of natural disasters. The impact on human lives and the economic costs are staggering. The world has been reeling from one crisis to another. The reason is climate change. The evidence is mounting. Climate change deniers refuse to believe it. They don't want to believe it. Perhaps, now that a hurricane has closed down New York City, the economic heart of America, maybe they'll think twice. It's starting to hit close to home - right in their own wallets. Unfortunately, it will take much more than the disastrous events of 2011 for those diehards to see the light.

NUMBER 16: FEATURED PHOTOS AND ART

TODAY IS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2019.

CLIMATE CRISIS: TIME IS RUNNING OUT. THE AMAZON RAINFOREST ON FIRE, HURRICANE DORIAN, WHAT NEXT?

Climate change is real. It is not a hoax. It has been scientifically proven. The world must come together and deal with it decisively before it is too late. The hurricanes, floods and wildfires are becoming more frequent and more destructive. The clock is ticking. (Click on image above).

DONALD TRUMP

The United States and the rest of the world cannot afford another four years of this man. Return America to decency. The Oath of Allegiance is to the United States, not to Trump. Americans, if you are undecided, don't vote for another four years of racism, locking kids in cages, misogyny, lying, bullying, gun violence, criminality and obstruction of justice, harming the environment and ignoring climate change, no minimum wage increases for workers, no health insurance for millions and tax breaks for billionaires..

About Me

I am a native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For many years, I worked as a researcher and archivist at the Toronto Star, the largest newspaper in Canada. I like to share my interest in trivia, television, current events, politics, movies, quotes etc.